Friday, April 25, 2008

Today I am thankful for...

There is nothing like loosing something for a little while to make you really thankful for it.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Healthy Kids - All of my kids except Sean (who got shipped off to Grandma's for a few nights) had the flu this week. Mya is still recovering. This week instead of running around, chattering, and playing together, my kids were extremely quiet. I would find them laying on the floor fast asleep in random rooms. We had a bucket for every room, just in case! :)

2. Healthy Me - I got the flu this week as well! Wednesday night was one of the longest nights of my life. I felt miserable. I am so thankful it didn't last long. I am so thankful for health!

3. Healthy Husband - Kory has stayed healthy so far (thankfully). He has been amazing. Taking care of his sick family, doing laundry, and mopping floors. And Wednesday night, he was the one who was up all night with the sick kids. Did I mention he's amazing! :)

4. Washing Machines! Ours got the flu this week as well! I thought for sure we were going to be buying a new machine this weekend, but it held on and (for the moment) is working. Washing machine's are a wonderful thing and the thought of not having one (especially in the midst of the flu) was a bit overwhelming!

5. A good nights sleep. Last night we all slept through the night with no interruptions! Tuesday and Wednesday it felt like we were up about every hour with sick kids.

6. My sweet buddy Sean. He went to Grandma's on Wednesday (we want him to stay healthy). I keep getting reports on how sweet he's been and I MISS HIM! He is coming home today!

What are you thankful for today?

Monday, April 21, 2008

Cherish Today

As a young mom, one piece of advice I hear repeated over and over is "cherish these days with your kids because they pass all too quickly." This piece of advice is usually prefaced by the words, "you probably hear this all the time, but its true."

I've been thinking about those words. I hear them a lot. I'm glad I hear them a lot because they are true and often, I need the reminder.

I cherish my kids. I really do enjoy this stage of life. It makes me sad when I realize how fast it is going. But, I still need the reminder because sometimes I get busy. Sometimes I spend more time cooking, cleaning, writing, blogging, bill-paying, etc. than I spend cherishing my children. Not that any of those things are bad. Some of them are necessary. All of them have their proper place.

It just comes down to this. At the end of my life (or even at the end of this season of my life), I will not look back and regret time spent reading books, coloring, taking walks, playing games, and being with my kids. But, if I let busyness steal away those moments, there will be regret.

Take time today to:

- look into your child's face, memorize it as it is today in your mind's eye
- tickle your child
- give your little one a bear hug and tell them how much they mean to you
- read a book together
- go for a walk and enjoy God's creation
- color together
- play together
- laugh together

We only have a few short years with our children before they are grown. Cherish the stage of life you are in today so that when you look back there will be no regrets.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Odds and Ends

I'm feeling a little stressed this morning (and this time it has nothing to do with the kids!). Here's why:

1. Was it just me, or did we have an earthquake last night. Around 4:40 I woke up and our bed was shaking (and making a squeaky sound). Kory felt it to. It didn't last very long, but it freaked me out and took me awhile to fall back asleep. My mind was racing. I kept imagining future earthquakes and planned out how I would get my kids to safety.

2. Once I finally did fall asleep I dreamt I was at the airport getting ready to leave the country and realized I did not have my suitcase and (more importantly) my carry-on items (i.e. ipod, headphones and book). Kory ran home to find the items for me, but everyone was loading the plane. I don't know if I made it or not, but I think I did. Regardless, I woke up feeling stressed

3. I've been reading through the Bible in a year. When I woke up, I read the story of the Levite whose concubine got raped and who then cut her up and delivered pieces of her body to the other tribes of Israel. That didn't really help calm my nerves.

4. I just got off the phone with Jami and we DID have an earthquake last night. She said it measured at 5.2 on the richter scale and was centered in the Chicagoland area. The first thing that ran through my mind when I woke up to the quake was "Kory's having a seizure!" Have we ever had an earthquake in this area before?

5. Simon is starting to say "I'm Jonah," so beware.

6. I'm not quite sure how to end this post, so I will just say that I am feeling a little less stressed as the morning progresses. Have a good Friday everyone!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tuesday's Blend on Jami's Blog


Jami is asking for household tips and ideas on her blog today. Here is mine:

I just found out about two websites that can reduce the junk mail you receive (and thereby reduce some of the paper piles that tend to accumulate on kitchen counters!).

Go to www.catalogchoice.org to get rid of unwanted catalogs in one fell swoop.

And, better yet, visit www.optoutprescreen.com to stop receiving credit card and insurance offers!

I just did this yesterday, so it is too early to tell if it will reduce the amount of junk mail I receive or not, but I am very optimistic about the results!

Monday, April 14, 2008

I'm Glad I'm a Mom because...


Would you like a chance to win a trip to next year's Hearts at Home conference or a free Hearts at Home book? Then hop on over to the Hearts at Home website and check out their latest contest! All you have to do is finish the sentence "I'm Glad I'm a Mom because..." in 50 words or less.

Also make sure you check out the Hearts at Home blog while you are there! (If you leave a comment on any Hearts at Home blog post, you will be entered in a drawing to win the HAH book of your choice. The drawing will be held this Wednesday night!)

Friday, April 11, 2008

The Story of Stuff

I recently wrote a post (click here to read it) about a video I saw at my MOPS group that talked about all the stuff we accumulate and the cylce we fall into that makes us think we need more stuff. I just found out that you can view that video on-line. If you'd like to see it click here!

Help for Your Organization Woes!



I am participating in Lysa TerKeurst's organizational swap and hop today. If you have an organizational problem area in your house, hop on over to Lysa's blog and find out how you can get help (and win Karen Ehman's new book The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized!).

I have already hopped around a few blogs and discovered that my problem area is not unique. My kitchen counter is a literal breeding ground for clutter. And when I do finally clean it off, stuff somehow finds its way back in record time. HELP!

Honestly, some of the stuff that accumulates on my counter top I don't know WHAT to do with, so it just lays there. Periodically I will rearrange it so it is more aesthetically pleasing. I even got a divided basket which helped, but somehow "things" continue to find there way to my counter top and I am TIRED of it!

If you have any ideas on how I can crack my counter-top clutter, please share!

Friday, April 04, 2008

A Taste of Hearts at Home

Hearts at Home's national conference was March 14 and 15 in Normal, IL. If you have never gone and are a mom, you should definately consider it next year (or this fall if you live close to MI or MN - check out www.heartsathome.org for details). I always leave encouraged in my profession of motherhood and wanting to be a better mom.

Author and speaker Karen Ehman did her famous hat skit this year. It highlights the many hats moms wear. It is a little long (approx 10 minutes), but very fun! Another thing I love about Hearts is that I always realize I am very normal. The hat skit verified that for me once again (i.e. I'm not the only mom who wears the witches hat periodically!).

So without further adieu, I present to you the Hat Skit!